Baseball cards date to the 19th century, but for Mr. Berger, the decade after World War II was the perfect time to revitalize them. The Yankees, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants dominated baseball, providing a fertile marketing climate aimed at youngsters in the New York metropolitan area who had been born in the immediate postwar years. And throughout America, the arrival of television made it possible for youngsters to watch their baseball heroes in action.

Topps cards were the best. I didn’t collect the baseball ones. I did all the ones based on TV shows. Man, as a kid I’d be disappointed if a TV series didn’t get a Topps card set.